Moving On
by marshmallowpandaxox
Summary: After leaving the New York Institute 2 years ago, Clary is 100% over Jace. But when he reappears in her life, what does she do?
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Jace,_

_If Jonathon is coming, then I can't stay here. I'll never risk losing you or anyone else, too many people have died already protecting me. I never wanted you to put your life on the line, so I'm leaving and I can't come back. I'm going to back to the mundane world. _

_But please know that I have always loved you, _

_Clarissa Morgenstern _

* * *

**TWO YEARS LATER**

I pull a backpack over one shoulder and grab the keys to my flat. I run out of the door and lock it behind me quickly. The cool air makes my skin tingle gently. I breath in the fresh air and set off down the street.

I've been living in London for about 2 years now. I enrolled in a local college and I'm studying art. I enjoy it but it's been weird going back to mundane society. I still carry weapons and a stele though, I like to be careful. Jonathon was found a few weeks ago, but I can't go back to the institute. It's been 2 years. I know they won't have forgotten me, but I couldn't face seeing then again, **him** again. I tell myself every day that I'm over Jace, which I am, but I still couldn't face him.

I only live a few blocks away from my college, which is useful. I push walk through the entrance and head towards the art block. I slip into my classroom and pull my portfolio out of my bag. I arrange my things. I'm working on portraits. Part of me still hurts when I remember all the portraits I drew of Jace.

The tutor enters the room and I busy myself on the portrait of a little girl I'm drawing. The boy in front turns round and flashes me a smile. I try to smile back but part of me feels bad. It feels like cheating. But I suppose that Jace will have found someone new by now. The boy in front of me turns back around and I turn my attention back to the girl I'm drawing.

Fifty minutes later, I pull my bag back onto my shoulder and leave the classroom. I'm due in Art Technology in 20 minutes but I'm hungry so I head to the canteen. I buy a cereal bar and pay the smiling lady. I have a few minutes to kill before class so I take the long way to class. I'm just about to head back to the art block, when I hear a shriek from a nearby corridor.

I spin round and run down the corridor towards the source of the sound. I peer around the corner into the entrance to the IT block and draw breath quickly.

A demon has a girl pinned against the wall. The girl is white with terror and the demon is snarling quietly. I reach slowly into the pocket of my bag and pull out the seraph blade I keep in there for emergencies. I creep quietly round the corner, hiding myself behind a pillar. I slide my bag off my shoulders and hide it behind the pillar. I creep forward until I'm close enough to leap onto the demon. I bend my knees and spring!

I catch the demon by surprise and we tumble to the floor. It releases the girl and I shout "RUN!" to her quickly before raising my seraph blade. The demon bites at me and I roll out of the way quickly. I spin round and stab it quickly. It's eyes bulge as ichor spews from the wound. It falls to the floor but not before it cuts me with one of its claws.

I withdraw as it disappears and cradle my hand. The wound stings, I wonder if the demon had poison. Before I can take a look, a hand grabs mine and I feel the familiar stinging of a stele. I look up and my eyes are met by luminous gold ones.

"JACE!" I say startled. He looks at me sadly. "What are you doing here?" I splutter. He frowns at me. "Do you know how long I have spent searching for you?" he asks. "Jace, stop it. It's been two years, we've both moved on." I say quietly. Jace shakes his head.

"Stop acting like that. Like nothing ever hurts you." he said quietly "That's what you told me, wasn't it?" I grab my bag and dart down the corridor, tears building up in my eyes. He grabs my arm and stops me. I forgot how fast he was.

"Over 2 years, I've been searching for you, Clary. I've never given another girl a glance. You killed me when you left and I've been dying slowly since then." he said sadly. "If you really have moved on, then look me in the eyes and tell me that." I look into his eyes. They were pained. I blinked back the tears.

"I told you. There is no pretending. I love you, and I will love you until I die, and if there is life after that, I'll love you then." he said.

I felt a tear run down my cheek as the memories, that I'd tried to hide for 2 long years, came flooding back . And then, as if it was natural I fell into his arms. He hugged me tightly as I curled into him. He kissed the top of my head gently.

"I love you Jace..." I whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"I love you Jace..." I whispered.

"But 2 years is a long time. I'm ready to be with you again. But I'm not ready to become a shadowhunter again." I said. I pulled back. "But you're not ready to leave the shadowhunter world." He frowned at me. "Jace Wayland, the best young shadowhunter ever. You need to be with someone who is a shadowhunter, and I'm not ready for that to be me yet." I said sadly. He looked hurt.

I walked away slowly. This was what was best for him. The fact I was tearing myself up inside didn't matter. Running away in the first place was to protect Jace. If I ruined my life that was fine, as long as someone that I loved so much was safe.

"The boy who never cried again" called Jace from behind me. I spun round puzzled. "That is what people call me now. But I guess I'm going to have to change that." he said. I looked at him. There were tears in his eyes. "I don't care what you think is best for me. I know what is the best thing for me." he said.

"To love is to destroy and to be loved is to be destroyed." he said. "And it's true. I fell in love with a fiery redhead with green eyes. And it killed me, when I thought you were my sister. It didn't feel right, I didn't want it to feel right. And then I found out we weren't siblings. And I was so happy, it felt like the sky had just lit up around me. And then I died. All the feelings were gone and the last thought I had, was of you. But then you brought me back. Are you really telling me that you haven't realised how much you have hurt me?"

I felt the tears return to my eyes.

"Then I realised the one place that I wasn't hurting was when I was with you. You healed me better than any iratze could ever heal me. You were like the light in the dark, and when I was with you I didn't have to be the boy who never cried again, I could be Jace. Not Jace Wayland, Morgenstern, Herondale or Lightwood. Just Jace. I felt like I had a reason to live, not just mechanical demon killing, I had someone I loved to protect. I don't care what you think is best for me, I know what is best me. Being with **you**!"

It felt like someone had grabbed my heart and was ripping it up. I had hurt him so much, but I had made him better and now if I leave he'll be in pain all over again.

"You might not feel ready to be a shadowhunter again, but you don't need to be. You just need to realise that I need you." he said.

He walked towards me slowly. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. He stood facing me, his eyes hurt and full of tears. I reached up and stroked his cheek gently.

"You've always been an angel, my angel. I've always loved you. I only ran away to keep you safe. If the safest place for you to be is with me, then I guess that's what needs to happen." I said quietly.

He swept me into a hug as his face broke into a smile. I smiled back and kissed his lips gently. He kissed me back twining his fingers through my hair as I wrapped my hands around his neck. After a few minutes we pulled apart.

He took my hand and lead me out of the building.

The streetlamps cast yellow pools of light across the pavement. The boy clutched a faintly glowing witchlight stone in his hand. He approached the grand building and went inside quickly.

Jace wiped his boots quickly and pulled off his jacket. It was just after 2am and the institute was silent. He stopped off via the weapons room and dumped his blades quickly before heading along to his own room. The door was slightly ajar and there was a faint light from inside the room. He pushed open the door and went inside. Clary was sat on his bed with her sketchbook out. She smiled as he walked into the room.

Clary had moved back into the institute a few months ago and chosen to retrain. Jace smiled as his redhead angel turned her attention back to what she was drawing. He changed into his pyjamas and sat next to Clary on the bed. He looked at her drawing and was pleasantly surprised to see himself. She turned to him. "Happy?" she said with a smile. He kissed her lightly. She wrote Jace in stylish handwriting across the bottom of the page but stopped before reaching his second name.

"What do you want me to write?" she asked quietly. He shrugged. "Lightwood or Herondale, which sounds better?" he said. "Jace Herondale or Jace Lightwood?" she said thoughtfully. "Clary Herondale or Clary Lightwood?" said Jace confidently. She turned to face him puzzled. He pulled a box from a drawer.

"Clary, I have loved you for so long and I want to love you for so many years to come. Will you marry me?" he asked. Clary gasped as he opened the box revealing a ring set with one green emerald the same colour as her eyes. "Yes, I'll marry you, Jace!" she said smiling. She kissed him happily.

Clary had told herself every day for 2 years that she was over Jace. But she wasn't and she could never be. She loved him too much.


	3. Author's Note

**AUTHORS NOTE**

Thanks for reading!

Please review!

This story is set after CoLS.

I really wanted to write a story about how Jace really feels about Clary.

Please check out my other story A New Arrival!

Thanks!

~marshmallowpandaxox


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